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One might excuse Oliver Glasner for preferring to spend a quiet few days with his family in Austria ahead of Christmas, instead of preparing for Crystal Palace's 29th game of the season—a Carabao Cup quarter-final against Arsenal. Yet, the notion that Palace might prioritize other competitions was quickly rejected by their boss.

"Absolutely not, I don't think so," stated Glasner after his team's side's four-one loss to Leeds. "Should anyone tells me that we lose deliberately, the next day I'm no longer the manager any more."

There exists a marked difference in Glasner's approach to domestic cup tournaments relative to his forerunner, Roy Hodgson. This initially was evident during Palace's run to the Carabao Cup last eight in his debut complete campaign in command. Under Hodgson, the team had previously been knocked out from each of the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup when Glasner assumed control at Selhurst Park. In contrast, Glasner picked his first-choice lineup for wins over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, setting up a showdown with Arsenal.

That previous quarter-final match ended in a three-two loss at the Emirates Stadium, following a slightly controversial hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, even though Palace having led at half-time. Almost exactly twelve months later, Glasner must figure out a strategy for revenge versus the current Premier League leaders in a match that was moved to this week owing to European commitments.

A Price of Achievement and Continental Fatigue

Glasner has, in a way, been a casualty of his own success. Guiding Palace to their first major trophy with victory in the FA Cup final subsequently brought the rigors of continental football for the very first time. These demands are taking a toll on several fatigued players, many of whom have hardly enjoyed a rest all term.

The coach selected an completely changed lineup, including four youngsters, in their last Conference League match. Yet, ahead of the Arsenal clash, he conceded he will have "no option" but to pick the majority of his preferred team, which appeared decidedly jaded as they uncharacteristically let in four goals from set-pieces against Leeds. "Have to. Yes, must," he said.

Arsenal's Perspective and Team Considerations

For Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the circumstances are distinct. The manager must balance his desire to win a second major trophy with extreme practicality. Last year, a hamstring injury to Bukayo Saka suffered in a league game against Palace only days after their Carabao Cup fightback greatly harmed their title hopes.

Arteta had made a number of changes for that cup tie but was forced to bring on his "key players" following the break. Saka was introduced from the bench to assist Jesus for a crucial goal in a passage of play that left Glasner "incensed" over a potential offside, with no VAR in operation—a situation that will be the case again on Tuesday.

Arsenal are on an eight-game unbeaten streak against Palace, including seven wins. Gabriel Jesus, who netted a hat-trick in the previous campaign's League Cup meeting and a brace in a later league win before sustaining a serious knee injury, looks set to start for the first since that injury. Arteta disclosed the striker wrote a "touching" letter to his teammates about what football signifies to him.

"We're accustomed to it," said Arteta on the congested schedule. "In my view this week was the sole complete week we had to prepare. The rest until February at least is going to be like this. We have a beautiful chance to go into the semi-final of a tournament so we will be prepared."

With important players returning from injury and a determination to progress, Arsenal present a daunting challenge for a Palace side urgently in need of rejuvenation as the holiday schedule intensifies.